The transfer of radionuclides through the terrestrial environment to agricultural products and livestock, including the evaluation of agro-chemical practices

The transfer of radionuclides through the terrestrial environment to agricultural products and livestock, including the evaluation of agro-chemical practices

Desde 1992-11-01
hasta 1994-02-28

Detalles del proyecto

Coste total:

No disponible

Aportación de la UE:

No disponible

Coordinado en:

Belgium

Tema(s):

Régimen de financiación:

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Objetivo

The major objective of this project is to increase the understanding of factors which are important in the transfer of radionuclides through the terrestrial environment, via agricultural products, to man. The project, to be undertaken largely in the 30 km zone around Chernobyl, provides a unique opportunity to study the behaviour of radioactive materials with physical and chemical characteristics that can only be found in relatively close proximity to the damaged reactor. The collaborative programme with scientists from the former Soviet Union also provides an important opportunity to evaluate jointly the large amounts of data they have obtained since 1986.

Specific soil-plant systems in the former Soviet Union will be selected as the basis for the joint study of the dynamics of radionuclide transfer in the agricultural ecosystem. The transfer of caesium, strontium and actinides will be investigated.

Migration of radionuclides in different soil systems

The interaction of caesium, strontium and actinides with different soil components should be investigated in different soil types (different properties - CEC, organic matter, clay content, etc). Of special interest are the dynamics of immobilization - mobilization during the growing season. Soil-plant transfer should be studied for a representative range of plant and soil types. Extraction procedures should be used to determine variations in the bioavailability and dynamics with time.

The influence of the radioactive material characteristics on the migration process in soil should be studied by selecting experimental plots both within and beyond the 30 km zone. In addition, migration experiments carried out in western Europe should be included in the interpretation of the results.

Transfer of radionuclides to and within plants

The uptake, retention and translocation of caesium, strontium and actinides in annual and perennial (eg, fruit tress, berries, etc) plants should be investigated for a range of soils representative of the region; emphasis should be given in these studies to the mechanisms of transfer. Investigations should also be made of the assimilation of the same elements deposited on the superficial surfaces of a representative range of plants. Throughout this project, measurement should be made both of the overall transfer and that to the edible fraction of plants.

Influence of agriculture practise on the transfer of radionuclides from soils to plants

The effects of different additives (eg, fertilisers, lime, etc) on the transfer of caesium, strontium and actinides from soil to plants should be investigated for a limited range of soil-plant systems; these should be chosen to complement those for which adequate data have already been obtained by institutes in the former Soviet Union. The effect which ploughing has on transfer should also be evaluated.

Transfer of radionuclides to livestock, offspring and agricultural products

The importance of diet and its composition (eg, grass, ensilage, bentonite, etc) on the uptake and accumulation of the caesium, strontium and actinides in animals should be investigated. The influence of the animal characteristics (species, sex, age, etc) on uptake and accumulation should be evaluated. The investigations should also be extended to include transfer to animal products (eg, milk, meat, eggs, etc) and to offspring.

Modelling

The results obtained from this collaborative experimental programme should, in conjunction with existing data, be used to develop improved models to describe the transfer of caesium, strontium and the actinides through the terrestrial environment, and via foodstuffs to man. These models should, to the extent practicable, be capable of differentiating transfer according to specific soil, plant and animal characteristics.